Vehicle cooling structure

ABSTRACT

A battery provided in a vehicle and configured to supply electric power is cooled down by coolant the heat of which is exchanged with the heat of external air by a radiator. The radiator is provided near the battery and performs heat-exchange between the coolant and the external air taken in through introduction holes provided on a bottom face of the vehicle. Thus, even in a case where the radiator is provided in a vehicle floor portion so that the battery is upsized, it is possible to restrain a coolant pipe from being elongated. This accordingly makes it possible to improve mountability to the vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application Serial No.17/060,081, filed Oct. 1, 2020, which claims priority to Japanese PatentApplication No. 2020-008750 filed on Jan. 22, 2020, the disclosures ofwhich applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle cooling structure.

2. Description of Related Art

WO 2014/055503 describes an disclosure related to a cooling structurefor an electric vehicle. In the cooling structure, heat-exchange isperformed between coolant and external air by a radiator provided in avehicle front portion. The coolant circulates through a battery and anelectric machine provided in the vehicle. Hereby, cooling of the batteryand the electric machine is performed.

SUMMARY

In the meantime, in recent years, extension in the cruising distance ofan electric vehicle has been demanded, and it is necessary to upsize abattery unit so as to correspond to this demand. In the upsizing of thebattery unit, it is conceivable that a battery is provided in a vehiclefloor portion where a space can be easily secured. However, in thiscase, a pipe for coolant from a radiator to the battery is elongated.This might cause poor mountability of a cooling structure to a vehicle,and therefore, there is still room for improvement in the related art inthis point.

The present disclosure is achieved in consideration of the above fact,and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle coolingstructure that is improved in mountability to a vehicle.

A vehicle cooling structure according to a first aspect of the presentdisclosure includes: a power supply portion provided in a vehicle andconfigured to supply electric power; and a heat exchanger provided nearthe power supply portion and including a heat-exchanging portion formedinto a wall shape, the heat-exchanging portion being configured toperform heat-exchange between coolant for cooling down the power supplyportion and external air taken in through introduction holes provided ona bottom face of the vehicle.

In the disclosure according to the first aspect, the power supplyportion provided in the vehicle and configured to supply electric poweris cooled down by the coolant the heat of which is exchanged with theheat of the external air by the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger isprovided near the power supply portion and performs heat-exchangebetween the coolant and the external air taken in through theintroduction holes provided on the bottom face of the vehicle. Hereby,even in a case where the heat exchanger is provided in a vehicle floorportion so that the power supply portion is upsized, it is possible torestrain a pipe for the coolant from being elongated.

The vehicle cooling structure according to a second aspect of thepresent disclosure may be configured as follows. That is, in the vehiclecooling structure according to the first aspect, the power supplyportion may supply electric power to an electric machine provided in thevehicle and configured to drive the vehicle, and the heat exchanger mayperform heat-exchange between the external air and the coolant thatcools down the electric machine as well as the power supply portion.

In the disclosure according to the second aspect, the power supplyportion supplies electric power to the electric machine provided in thevehicle and configured to drive the vehicle. Further, the heat exchangerperforms heat-exchange between the external air and the coolant thatcools down the electric machine as well as the power supply portion, sothat it is not necessary to provide another heat exchanger for coolingthe electric machine and another coolant pipe connected thereto.

The vehicle cooling structure according to a third aspect of the presentdisclosure may be configured as follows. That is, in the vehicle coolingstructure according to the first or second aspect, the power supplyportion and the heat exchanger may be placed inwardly in the vehiclewidth direction from a pair of right and left frame members constitutinga framework of the vehicle and extending in a vehicle front-reardirection.

In the disclosure according to the third aspect, the power supplyportion and the heat exchanger are provided inwardly in the vehiclewidth direction from the right and left frame members constituting theframework of the vehicle and extending in the vehicle front-reardirection. Accordingly, it is possible to restrain, by the right andleft frame members, such a situation that a collision load is directlyinput into the power supply portion and the heat exchanger at the timewhen the vehicle has a collision to its side face (hereinafter justreferred to as a “lateral collision”).

The vehicle cooling structure according to a fourth aspect of thepresent disclosure may be configured as follows. That is, in the vehiclecooling structure according to any one of the first to third aspects,the heat exchanger may be formed integrally with the power supplyportion.

In the disclosure according to the fourth aspect, since the heatexchanger is formed integrally with the power supply portion, it ispossible to reduce the number of man-hour for mounting of components tothe vehicle.

The vehicle cooling structure according to a fifth aspect of the presentdisclosure may be configured as follows. That is, the vehicle coolingstructure according to any one of the first to fourth aspects mayinclude: shutter fins configured to open and close the introductionholes; and a controlling portion configured to control the opening andclosing of the shutter fins.

In the disclosure according to the fifth aspect, the vehicle coolingstructure includes the shutter fins configured to open and close theintroduction holes, and the controlling portion configured to controlthe opening and closing of the shutter fins. Accordingly, in a casewhere cooling of at least the power supply portion is unnecessary, whenthe controlling portion controls the shutter fins such that theintroduction holes are closed, it is possible to restrain a decrease inaerodynamic performance due to entrance of the external air into theintroduction holes.

The vehicle cooling structure according to a sixth aspect of the presentdisclosure may be configured as follows. That is, in the vehicle coolingstructure according to the fifth aspect, the controlling portion maydetect a traveling direction of the vehicle and control the opening andclosing of the shutter fins so that the external air is introduced intothe introduction holes in the traveling direction thus detected.

In the disclosure according to the sixth aspect, the controlling portioncontrols the opening and closing of the shutter fins so that theexternal air is introduced into the introduction holes in a currenttraveling direction of the vehicle. Hereby, even in a case where thevehicle travels to either side in the vehicle front-rear direction, itis possible to perform heat-exchange between the coolant and theexternal air by introducing the external air into the introductionholes. That is, even in a case where the vehicle travels to either sidein the vehicle front-rear direction, the power supply portion can becooled down.

The vehicle cooling structure according to a seventh aspect of thepresent disclosure may be configured as follows. That is, in the vehiclecooling structure according to any one of the first to sixth aspects,the heat-exchanging portion may be placed along the horizontal directionin the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may include: an inclinedportion configured to incline the heat exchanger around the axialdirection of the heat exchanger, the axial direction being along avehicle width direction; and an inclination controlling portionconfigured to control the inclined portion such that the heat exchangeris inclined downward in the vehicle up-down direction toward the rearside in the vehicle front-rear direction under a predeterminedcondition.

In the disclosure according to the seventh aspect, the heat exchangerincludes: the inclined portion configured to incline, around the axialdirection, the heat exchanger in which the heat-exchanging portionhaving a wall shape is placed along the horizontal direction, the axialdirection being along the vehicle width direction; and the inclinationcontrolling portion configured to control the inclined portion such thatthe heat exchanger is inclined downward in the vehicle up-down directiontoward the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction under thepredetermined condition. That is, the direction of the heat-exchangingportion nears a direction perpendicular to the direction of the externalair when the vehicle travels forward in the vehicle front-reardirection. Accordingly, by inclining the heat exchanger when cooling isnecessary, a more amount of the external air hits the heat-exchangingportion of the heat exchanger while the vehicle travels, thereby makingit possible to perform heat-exchange efficiently.

The vehicle cooling structure according to an eighth aspect of thepresent disclosure may be configured as follows. That is, in the vehiclecooling structure according to the seventh aspect, the inclinationcontrolling portion may detect a traveling direction of the vehicle. Theinclination controlling portion may control the inclined portion suchthat the heat exchanger is inclined downward in the vehicle up-downdirection toward the rear side in the traveling direction thus detected.

In the disclosure according to the eighth aspect, the inclinationcontrolling portion controls the inclined portion such that the heatexchanger is inclined downward in the vehicle up-down direction towardthe rear side in the detected traveling direction. Hereby, even when thetraveling direction changes, a more amount of the external air can hitthe heat exchanger by inclining the heat exchanger while the vehicletravels. That is, even in a case where the vehicle travels to eitherside in the vehicle front-rear direction, it is possible to performheat-exchange efficiently.

The vehicle cooling structure according to the first aspect has such anexcellent effect that mountability to the vehicle can be improved.

The vehicle cooling structure according to the second and fourth aspectshas such an excellent effect that the mountability to the vehicle can beimproved more.

The vehicle cooling structure according to the third aspect has such anexcellent effect that collision performance at the time of a lateralcollision can be secured.

The vehicle cooling structure according to the fifth aspect has such anexcellent effect that a decrease in aerodynamic performance of thevehicle can be restrained when cooling is unnecessary.

The vehicle cooling structure according to the sixth aspect has such anexcellent effect that cooling is performable regardless of the travelingdirection of the vehicle.

The vehicle cooling structure according to the seventh aspect has suchan excellent effect that cooling performance can be improved.

The vehicle cooling structure according to the eighth aspect has such anexcellent effect that the cooling performance can be improved regardlessof the traveling direction of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance ofexemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denotelike elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a vehicle having a vehicle coolingstructure according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a state where anessential part of the vehicle cooling structure according to the firstembodiment is cut along the vehicle front-rear direction;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating a state where the essentialpart of the vehicle cooling structure according to the first embodimentis viewed from above in the vehicle up-down direction;

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a state where anessential part of a vehicle cooling structure according to a secondembodiment is cut along the vehicle front-rear direction;

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a case where a vehiclehaving the vehicle cooling structure according to the second embodimenttravels toward a first side in the vehicle front-rear direction;

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a case where thevehicle having the vehicle cooling structure according to the secondembodiment travels toward a second side in the vehicle front-reardirection;

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a case where a vehiclehaving a vehicle cooling structure according to a third embodimenttravels toward the first side in the vehicle front-rear direction; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a case where thevehicle having the vehicle cooling structure according to the thirdembodiment travels toward the second side in the vehicle front-reardirection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In FIGS. 1 to 8 , an arrow FR indicates the front side in the vehiclefront-rear direction, an arrow OUT indicates the outer side in thevehicle width direction, and an arrow UP indicates the upper side in thevehicle up-down direction.

First Embodiment

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 , the following describes a firstembodiment of a vehicle cooling structure according to the presentdisclosure.

Overall Configuration

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , a vehicle 12 to which a vehicle coolingstructure 10 is applied is an electric vehicle configured to travel by amotor unit 16 as an electric machine driven upon receipt of supply ofelectric power from a battery 14 as a power supply portion (describedlater). The vehicle 12 of the present embodiment has an appearance inwhich the appearance of a first side of the vehicle 12 in the vehiclefront-rear direction and the appearance of a second side of the vehicle12 in the vehicle front-rear direction are generally the same, and thevehicle 12 can continuously travel toward either side in the vehiclefront-rear direction. Note that, for purpose of this description, thefirst side in the vehicle front-rear direction is referred to as thefront side in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the second side inthe vehicle front-rear direction is referred to as the rear side in thevehicle front-rear direction.

Rocker

As illustrated in FIG. 3 , a pair of right and left rockers 18 as framemembers extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided suchthat the right and left rockers 18 are placed on respective outer sides,in the vehicle width direction, relative to a floor panel (not shown)constituting part of a floor portion of the vehicle 12. A terminalportion of the floor panel is joined to upper parts of the rockers 18 byspot welding.

A pair of right and left rear side members 20 is provided such that theright and left rear side members 20 are connected to respective rear endparts of the right and left rockers 18. The right and left rear sidemembers 20 are placed between a pair of right and left rear wheels 24,and a rear suspension member (not shown) is attached to the rear sidemembers 20 in a suspended manner. A suspension, a suspension arm, astabilizer (all not shown herein), and so on by which each of the rightand left rear wheels 24 is suspended are attached to the rear suspensionmember.

A pair of right and left front side members 26 is provided such that theright and left front side members 26 are connected to respective frontend parts of the right and left rockers. The right and left front sidemembers 26 are placed between a pair of right and left front wheels 28,and a front suspension member (not shown) is attached to the front sidemembers 26 in a suspended manner. A suspension, a suspension arm, astabilizer (all not shown herein), and so on by which each of the rightand left front wheels 28 is suspended are attached to the frontsuspension member.

Motor Unit

The motor unit 16 is placed in a space S between the front side members26. The motor unit 16 is placed between the right and left front sidemembers 26 and is attached to a top face of the front suspension membervia a support mount (not shown) constituted by an elastic member. Themotor unit 16 can rotate the right and left front wheels 28 via outputshafts (not shown).

A water jacket (not shown) is provided inside the motor unit 16. Coolant(not shown) is filled in the water jacket, and heat-exchange isperformed between the motor unit 16 and the coolant. Hereby, thetemperature of the motor unit 16 at the time of operation is maintainedwithin a predetermined allowable range.

Battery

A battery unit 30 is provided in a vehicle floor portion, that is, belowthe floor panel in the vehicle up-down direction and between the rightand left rockers 18. The battery unit 30 includes the battery 14 and aradiator unit 32 (see FIG. 2 ). The battery 14 includes a case 14Aformed in a generally box shape and cells (not shown) accommodated inthe case 14A. A front end part 14B of the battery 14 is placed on rearend sides of the front side members 26, and a rear end part 14C of thebattery 14 is placed on front end sides of the rear side members 20. Thebattery 14 is electrically connected to the motor unit 16 via a harness(not shown), and the battery 14 supplies electric power to the motorunit 16.

A water jacket (not shown) is provided inside the battery 14 such thatthe water jacket surrounds the cells. Coolant (not shown) is filled inthe water jacket, and heat-exchange is performed between the battery 14and the coolant. Hereby, the temperature of the battery 14 at the timeof power supply is maintained within a predetermined allowable range.

Radiator Unit

As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the radiator unit 32 includes a radiator 34as a heat exchanger and an air-blow fan 36. Coolant is circulatablethrough the inside of the radiator 34. The radiator 34 includes aheat-exchanging portion 34A formed in a wall shape and placedhorizontally. The heat-exchanging portion 34A is configured to performheat-exchange between the coolant and external air A taken in throughintroduction holes 38 (described later) so as to flow toward the upperside in the vehicle up-down direction from the lower side in the vehicleup-down direction. By the heat-exchanging portion 34A, heat of thecoolant is released.

The air-blow fan 36 is provided above the radiator 34 in the vehicleup-down direction, and in operation, the air-blow fan 36 generatesairflow from the lower side in the vehicle up-down direction to theupper side in the vehicle up-down direction. The air-blow fan 36 isintegrally formed with the radiator 34 via a fan shroud (not shown).

The radiator 34, the battery 14, and the motor unit 16 are connected toeach other via coolant pipes 40 as illustrated in FIG. 3 . Morespecifically, the coolant pipes 40 connect the radiator 34, the battery14, and the motor unit 16 such that the coolant is circulatable throughthe inside of the radiator 34, the inside of the water jacket of thebattery 14, and the inside of the water jacket of the motor unit 16.Further, the coolant pipe 40 is connected to a water pump 42. The waterpump 42 circulates the coolant by sending off the coolant in the coolantpipe 40.

The radiator unit 32 and the battery 14 are formed integrally in a statewhere the radiator unit 32 is distanced from the battery 14 by a holdingmember (not shown) in the vehicle up-down direction. Note that theradiator unit 32 is placed at a position corresponding to generally thecenter of the battery 14 in the vehicle front-rear direction andgenerally the center thereof in the vehicle width direction in a planview of the vehicle.

Introduction Holes

As illustrated in FIG. 2 , an under panel 44 is provided in the vehiclefloor portion, that is, below the battery unit 30 in the vehicle up-downdirection. The under panel 44 is constituted by a resin plate memberwith its plate-thickness direction being along the vehicle up-downdirection, for example. The under panel 44 is attached to the vehicle 12via a fastener (not shown). A plurality of introduction holes 38 formedto penetrate through the under panel 44 in the plate-thickness directionis formed in the under panel 44 at a position corresponding to thebattery unit 30. Further, wind-guide inclined portions 46, 48 are formedin part of edges of the introduction holes 38. The wind-guide inclinedportions 46 are provided in front edges of the introduction holes 38 inthe vehicle front-rear direction, the introduction holes 38 being formedin the under panel 44 in a range ahead of a position in the vehiclefront-rear direction, the position corresponding to a generally centralpart of the battery unit 30 in the vehicle front-rear direction. Thewind-guide inclined portions 46 incline upward in the vehicle up-downdirection toward the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction.Accordingly, the external air A entering the introduction holes 38 whenthe vehicle 12 travels forward in the vehicle front-rear direction flowstoward the radiator 34 side along the wind-guide inclined portions 46.In the meantime, the wind-guide inclined portions 48 are provided inrear edges of the introduction holes 38 in the vehicle front-reardirection, the introduction holes 38 being formed in the under panel 44in a range behind the position in the vehicle front-rear direction, theposition corresponding to the generally central part of the battery unit30 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The wind-guide inclined portions48 incline upward in the vehicle up-down direction toward the front sidein the vehicle front-rear direction. Accordingly, the external air Aentering the introduction holes 38 when the vehicle 12 travels rearwardin the vehicle front-rear direction flows toward the radiator 34 sidealong the wind-guide inclined portions 48.

Operations and Effects of First Embodiment

Next will be described operations and effects of the present embodiment.

In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , the battery 14provided in the vehicle 12 and configured to supply electric power iscooled down by the coolant the heat of which is exchanged with the heatof the external air A by the radiator 34. The radiator 34 is providednear the battery 14 and performs heat-exchange between the coolant andthe external air A taken in through the introduction holes 38 providedon the bottom face of the vehicle 12. Accordingly, even in a case wherethe radiator 34 is provided in the vehicle floor portion so that thebattery 14 is upsized, it is possible to restrain the coolant pipe 40from being elongated. This accordingly makes it possible to improvemountability to the vehicle 12.

Further, the battery 14 supplies electric power to the motor unit 16provided in the vehicle 12 and configured to drive the vehicle 12. Theradiator 34 performs heat-exchange between the external air A and thecoolant that cools down the motor unit 16 as well as the battery 14, sothat it is not necessary to provide another radiator 34 for cooling themotor unit 16 and another coolant pipe 40 connected thereto.

Further, the radiator 34 is formed integrally with the battery 14, andtherefore, the number of man-hour for mounting components to the vehicle12 can be reduced. This can further improve the mountability to thevehicle 12.

Further, the battery 14 and the radiator 34 are provided inwardly in thevehicle width direction from the right and left rockers 18 constitutingthe framework of the vehicle 12 and extending in the vehicle front-reardirection. Accordingly, it is possible to restrain, by the right andleft rockers 18, such a situation that a collision load is directlyinput into the battery 14 and the radiator 34 at the time of a lateralcollision. Hereby, it is possible to secure collision performance in alateral collision.

Second Embodiment

Next will be described a vehicle cooling structure according to a secondembodiment of the present disclosure with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 .Note that a constituent that is basically the same as a constituentdescribed in the first embodiment has the same reference sign as theconstituent in the first embodiment, and the description thereof isomitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 4 , a basic configuration of a vehicle coolingstructure 60 according to the second embodiment is similar to that inthe first embodiment, and the vehicle cooling structure 60 has a featurein that shutter fins 62 are provided in the introduction holes 38.

That is, the shutter fin 62 is provided in an opening of theintroduction hole 38 and is constituted by a plate member with itsplate-thickness direction being along the vehicle up-down direction. Apivot shaft 64 with its axial direction being along the vehicle widthdirection is provided in a central part of the shutter fin 62 in thevehicle front-rear direction, and the shutter fin 62 can pivot aroundthe pivot shaft 64. The pivoting of the shutter fin 62 is performed viaa link member (not shown) that connects the shutter fin 62 to anactuator 68 when the actuator 68 operates.

The actuator 68 is communicably connected to a controlling portion 70,and the controlling portion 70 controls the actuator 68 such that theshutter fin 62 is changed between a closed state and an opened state(see FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Further, the controlling portion 70 iscommunicably connected to a driving shaft rotation number sensor (notshown), and the controlling portion 70 determines to which side in thevehicle front-rear direction the vehicle 12 travels. Further, thecontrolling portion 70 is communicably connected to respectivetemperature sensors configured to detect respective temperatures of thebattery 14 and the motor unit 16 and acquires the temperatures of thebattery 14 and the motor unit 16.

Control of Shutter Fins

When at least one of the temperatures of the battery 14 and the motorunit 16 is a predetermined temperature or less, the controlling portion70 determines that cooling is unnecessary and controls the actuator 68such that the shutter fins 62 are brought into the closed state. Hereby,the introduction holes 38 are closed.

In the meantime, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, that is,at least one of the temperatures of the battery 14 and the motor unit 16is the predetermined temperature or more, the controlling portion 70determines that cooling is necessary and controls the actuator 68 suchthat the shutter fins 62 are brought into the opened state. Morespecifically, in a case where the vehicle 12 travels forward in thevehicle front-rear direction, the controlling portion 70 brings theshutter fins 62 into the opened state except the shutter fins 62 placedbehind the radiator 34 in the vehicle front-rear direction among theshutter fins 62, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , such that the shutter fins62 are inclined upward in the vehicle up-down direction toward the rearside in the vehicle front-rear direction. Hereby, the external air Aoutside the vehicle 12 traveling forward in the vehicle front-reardirection as a traveling direction is smoothly introduced into theintroduction holes 38 along the shutter fins 62. Note that, in a casewhere the vehicle 12 travels forward in the vehicle front-reardirection, in the present embodiment, the shutter fins 62 placed behindthe radiator 34 in the vehicle front-rear direction among the shutterfins 62 are in the closed state. However, the present disclosure is notlimited to this, and the shutter fins 62 placed behind the radiator 34in the vehicle front-rear direction among the shutter fins 62 may be inthe opened state.

Further, in a case where the vehicle 12 travels rearward in the vehiclefront-rear direction, the controlling portion 70 brings the shutter fins62 into the opened state except the shutter fins 62 placed in front ofthe radiator 34 in the vehicle front-rear direction among the shutterfins 62, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , such that the shutter fins 62 areinclined downward in the vehicle up-down direction toward the rear sidein the vehicle front-rear direction. Hereby, the external air A outsidethe vehicle 12 traveling rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction asa traveling direction is smoothly introduced into the introduction holes38 along the shutter fins 62. Note that, in a case where the vehicle 12travels rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction, in the presentembodiment, the shutter fins 62 placed in front of the radiator 34 inthe vehicle front-rear direction among the shutter fins 62 are in theclosed state. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this,and the shutter fins 62 placed in front of the radiator 34 in thevehicle front-rear direction among the shutter fins 62 may be in theopened state.

Operations and Effects of Second Embodiment

Next will be described operations and effects of the present embodiment.

The vehicle cooling structure 60 is configured in a similar manner tothe vehicle cooling structure 10 of the first embodiment except that theshutter fins 62 are provided in the introduction holes 38. Accordingly,this configuration can yield the same effect as that of the firstembodiment. Further, the vehicle cooling structure 60 includes theshutter fins 62 configured to open and close the introduction holes 38,and the controlling portion 70 configured to control the opening andclosing of the shutter fins 62. Accordingly, in a case where cooling ofat least the battery 14 is unnecessary, when the controlling portion 70controls the shutter fins 62 so that the introduction holes 38 areclosed, it is possible to restrain a decrease in aerodynamic performancedue to entrance of the external air A into the introduction holes 38.This makes it possible to restrain the decrease in aerodynamicperformance of the vehicle 12 at the time when cooling is unnecessary.Further, in a case where cooling is unnecessary, the shutter fins 62close the introduction holes 38, so that it is possible to reduce such asituation that foreign matter hits the radiator 34.

Further, the controlling portion 70 controls the opening and closing ofthe shutter fins 62 so that the external air A is introduced into theintroduction holes 38 in a current traveling direction of the vehicle12. Even in a case where the vehicle 12 travels to either side in thevehicle front-rear direction, it is possible to perform heat-exchangebetween the coolant and the external air A by introducing the externalair A into the introduction holes 38. That is, even in a case where thevehicle 12 that can travel to either side in the vehicle front-reardirection travels to either side in the vehicle front-rear direction,the battery 14 can be cooled down. Hereby, the battery 14 can be cooleddown regardless of the traveling direction of the vehicle 12.

Note that, in the second embodiment, the controlling portion 70 isconfigured to perform a control such that the inclination of the shutterfins 62 is changed so that the external air A is introduced into theintroduction holes 38 in a detected traveling direction. However, thepresent disclosure is not limited to this, and the introduction holes 38may be brought into the opened state in a case where cooling is justrequired, without detecting a traveling direction. Further, the shutterfins 62 may be inclined only by a predetermined angle in the openedstate.

Further, the shutter fin 62 is configured to pivot by the pivot shaft 64provided in the central part of the shutter fin 62 in the vehiclefront-rear direction. However, the present disclosure is not limited tothis. Such a configuration may be employed that pivot shafts areprovided in opposite end portions of the shutter fin 62 in the vehiclefront-rear direction such that the pivot shafts are removable from theshutter fin so that the introduction hole 38 is brought into the openedstate, or other configurations may be employed.

Third Embodiment

Next will be described a vehicle cooling structure according to a thirdembodiment of the present disclosure with reference to FIGS. 7, 8 . Notethat a constituent that is basically the same as a constituent describedin the first embodiment has the same reference sign as the constituentin the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , a basic configuration of a vehicle coolingstructure 80 according to the third embodiment is similar to that of thefirst embodiment and the vehicle cooling structure 80 has such a featurethat the radiator unit 32 is inclined.

A battery unit 82 is provided in the vehicle floor portion, that is,below the floor panel in the vehicle up-down direction and between theright and left rockers 18. The battery unit 82 includes the battery 14,the radiator unit 32 (see FIG. 2 ), an inclined portion 84, and aninclination controlling portion 86.

The inclined portion 84 includes a drive mechanism (not shown) and isconfigured to cause the radiator unit 32 to pivot around a pivot shaft(not shown) with its axial direction being along the vehicle widthdirection, the pivot shaft being provided in a central part of theradiator unit 32 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

The inclined portion 84 is communicably connected to the inclinationcontrolling portion 86, and the inclination controlling portion 86controls the inclined portion 84 such that the radiator 34 is switchedbetween a horizontal state (see FIG. 2 ) in which the heat-exchangingportion 34A is along the horizontal direction and an inclined state (seeFIGS. 7, 8 ). Further, the inclination controlling portion 86 iscommunicably connected to the driving shaft rotation number sensor (notshown), and the inclination controlling portion 86 determines to whichside in the vehicle front-rear direction the vehicle 12 travels.Further, the inclination controlling portion 86 is communicablyconnected to respective temperature sensors configured to detectrespective temperatures of the battery 14 and the motor unit 16 andacquires the temperatures of the battery 14 and the motor unit 16.

Control on Inclined Portion

When at least one of the temperatures of the battery 14 and the motorunit 16 is a predetermined temperature or less, the inclinationcontrolling portion 86 determines that cooling is unnecessary, and theinclination controlling portion 86 brings the radiator 34 into thehorizontal state (see FIG. 2 ).

In the meantime, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, that is,at least one of the temperatures of the battery 14 and the motor unit 16is the predetermined temperature or more, the inclination controllingportion 86 determines that cooling is necessary and inclines theradiator 34. More specifically, in a case where the vehicle 12 travelsforward in the vehicle front-rear direction, the inclination controllingportion 86 brings the radiator 34 into the inclined state where theradiator 34 is inclined in a direction inclined downward in the vehicleup-down direction toward the rear side in the traveling direction (therear side in the vehicle front-rear direction) as illustrated in FIG. 7. Hereby, the external air A outside the vehicle 12 traveling forward inthe vehicle front-rear direction as the traveling direction easily hitsthe radiator 34 efficiently.

Further, in a case where the vehicle 12 travels rearward in the vehiclefront-rear direction, the inclination controlling portion 86 brings theradiator 34 in the inclined state where the radiator 34 is inclined in adirection inclined downward in the vehicle up-down direction toward therear side in the traveling direction (the front side in the vehiclefront-rear direction) as illustrated in FIG. 8 . Hereby, the externalair A outside the vehicle 12 traveling rearward in the vehiclefront-rear direction as the traveling direction easily hits the radiator34 efficiently.

Operations and Effects of Third Embodiment

Next will be described operations and effects of the present embodiment.

In the above configuration, the vehicle cooling structure 80 isconfigured in a similar manner to the vehicle cooling structure 10 ofthe first embodiment except that the radiator 34 is inclined.Accordingly, this configuration can yield the same effect as that of thefirst embodiment. Further, the vehicle cooling structure 80 includes:the inclined portion 84 configured to incline, around the axialdirection, the radiator 34 in which the heat-exchanging portion 34Ahaving a wall shape is placed along the horizontal direction, the axialdirection being along the vehicle width direction; and the inclinationcontrolling portion 86 configured to control the inclined portion 84such that the radiator 34 is inclined downward in the vehicle up-downdirection toward the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction whencooling is necessary. That is, the direction of the heat-exchangingportion 34A nears a direction perpendicular to the direction of theexternal air A when the vehicle 12 travels forward in the vehiclefront-rear direction. Accordingly, by inclining the radiator 34 whencooling is necessary, a more amount of the external air A hits theheat-exchanging portion 34A of the radiator 34 while the vehicletravels, so that heat-exchange can be performed efficiently. This makesit possible to improve cooling performance.

Further, the inclination controlling portion 86 controls the inclinedportion 84 such that the radiator 34 is inclined downward in the vehicleup-down direction toward the front side in a detected travelingdirection. Hereby, even when the traveling direction changes, a moreamount of the external air A can hit the radiator 34 while the vehicletravels. That is, even in a case where the vehicle 12 that can travel toeither side in the vehicle front-rear direction travels to either sidein the vehicle front-rear direction, it is possible to performheat-exchange more efficiently. Hereby, it is possible to improvecooling performance regardless of the traveling direction of the vehicle12.

Further, when the inclination controlling portion 86 determines thatcooling is unnecessary, the inclination controlling portion 86 bringsthe radiator 34 into the horizontal state. This allows the distance fromthe radiator 34 to a road surface to be larger than that in the inclinedstate. That is, it is possible to keep to a minimum a state where theradiator 34 easily interferes with an obstacle on the road surface.

Note that, in the third embodiment, the inclination controlling portion86 is configured to control the inclined portion 84 such that theradiator 34 is inclined downward in the vehicle up-down direction towardthe rear side in a detected traveling direction. However, the presentdisclosure is not limited to this, and the inclination controllingportion 86 may be configured to incline the radiator 34 only downward inthe vehicle up-down direction toward the rear side in the vehiclefront-rear direction without detecting the traveling direction.

Further, the radiator 34 is configured to be inclined by the inclinedportion 84. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, andthe shutter fins 62 of the second embodiment may be provided in theintroduction holes 38 so that the radiator 34 is controlled togetherwith the shutter fins 62.

Further, in the first to third embodiments, the motor unit 16 isprovided in the space S between the front side members 26. However, thepresent disclosure is not limited to this. A configuration in which themotor unit 16 is provided in a space between the rear side members 20 ora configuration in which the motor unit 16 is provided both in the spaceS between the front side members 26 and in the space between the rearside members 20 may be employed. Further, the motor unit 16 may beprovided in a part other than the space S between the front side members26, like a so-called in-wheel type motor.

Further, the battery 14 is configured to be cooled down by coolant.However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and a fuel cellstack or other objects provided in the vehicle may be configured to becooled down. Further, the battery 14 and the motor unit 16 areconfigured to be cooled down. However, the present disclosure is notlimited to this, and only the battery 14 may be cooled down.

Further, the radiator 34 is configured such that the heat-exchangingportion 34A is placed along the horizontal direction. However, thepresent disclosure is not limited to this, and the heat-exchangingportion 34A may be placed along other directions such as the vehicleup-down direction. Further, the battery 14 and the radiator unit 32 areprovided in the vehicle floor portion. However, the present disclosureis not limited to this, and the battery 14 and the radiator unit 32 maybe placed at other positions such as a power unit room.

The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, butthe present disclosure is not limited to the above description and maybe modified in various ways and performed as long as the modificationsare not beyond the gist of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle cooling structure comprising: a powersupply portion provided in a vehicle and configured to supply electricpower; and a heat exchanger provided near the power supply portion andincluding a heat-exchanging portion formed into a wall shape, theheat-exchanging portion being configured to perform heat-exchangebetween coolant for cooling down the power supply portion and externalair taken in through introduction holes provided on a bottom face of thevehicle, wherein the heat-exchanging portion is placed along ahorizontal direction in the heat exchanger, and the heat exchangerincludes: an inclined portion configured to incline the heat exchangeraround an axial direction of the heat exchanger, the axial directionbeing along a vehicle width direction, and an inclination controllingportion configured to control the inclined portion such that the heatexchanger is inclined downward in a vehicle up-down direction toward arear side in a vehicle front-rear direction under a predeterminedcondition.
 2. The vehicle cooling structure according to claim 1,wherein: the power supply portion supplies electric power to an electricmachine provided in the vehicle and configured to drive the vehicle; andthe heat exchanger performs heat-exchange between the external air andthe coolant that cools down the electric machine as well as the powersupply portion.
 3. The vehicle cooling structure according to claim 1,wherein the power supply portion and the heat exchanger are placedinwardly in a vehicle width direction from a pair of right and leftframe members constituting a framework of the vehicle and extending in avehicle front-rear direction.
 4. The vehicle cooling structure accordingto claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is integral with the power supplyportion.
 5. The vehicle cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein:the inclination controlling portion detects a traveling direction of thevehicle; and the inclination controlling portion controls the inclinedportion such that the heat exchanger is inclined downward in the vehicleup-down direction toward a rear side in the traveling direction thusdetected.